Monday, November 24, 2008

The KOR ONE: Reusable Water Bottle or Swanky Hydration Vessel?

KOR set out to redesign the reusable water bottle and make it appealing to the nonsporty crowd because let’s face it most of the reusable water bottles out there are designed for the sporty folks. KOR managed to combine my teenage love of fashion with my adult love of product designs (seriously folks, I’ve geeked out over the posh design of an orange juice squeezer) and put it into one gorgeous looking water bottle. Wow. (OK. OK. They call it a Hydration Vessel when really it’s a reusable water bottle - but who am I to quibble with marketing semantics?) Imagine my delight when KOR sent me one of their BPA-free plastic Hydration Vessels for review.

The KOR ONE is a one of the few water bottles I have that I can but in the dishwasher. Given the rounded bottom, the bottle is surprisingly sturdy and doesn’t tip over easily. And just for fun, the KOR ONE features a “stone” cap insert with inspirational sayings such as “Never Settle” or “Laugh Often.” They also include a blank stone so you can create your own message. I got all Alice in Wonderland and made a “Drink Me” stone for my - oh, geez, I’ll just say it - my Hydration Vessel’s lid.

However, many may consider some of the KOR ONE’s strengths its weaknesses. The bottle is huge compared to my current stash of reusable water bottles. It holds 750 ml of water. The same amount of liquid that’s found in a bottle of wine. (Coincidence or conscious design? I wonder….) which means fewer trips to the kitchen tap for refills throughout the day, which I like. However, the KOR ONE’s large size also means that it doesn’t fit well in a car cup holder or bike water bottle carrier. That’s OK, because I have other bottles I can use for my bike and as a rule I don’t drink water and drive because I’m prone to spillage no matter what size or type of container I’m drinking from in the car.

The KOR ONE features a hinged lid (no more losing track of where the top of my water bottle is among the daily flotsam and jetsam that sometimes comes across my desk!) and wide mouth that allowed me to easily drop ice cubes into the bottle. However, both features make drinking from the KOR ONE a little awkward but after a while, I got used to it.

Some may not like that the KOR ONE is made of plastic, even if it is BPA-free plastic. I don’t mind because it won’t dent or scratch and KOR takes the bottles back for recycling too. Moreover, I like the company’s philosophy about sustainable living. They say (emphasis mine),

“You might notice that the KOR logo’s green and blue arms reach upward to close the water drop but don't quite touch. The gap acknowledges the constant divide between our goals and achievements. Once you're on the path to “being green,” you find there’s always something more you could do – and in the eyes of some you’re never doing quite enough. That’s OK. Finding balance – in ourselves and in the environment – is a continuous process that never truly ends. It only matters that you’re on your way.“

Some may scoff at KOR’s idea of trying to make a water bottle into the new It fashion accessory (the KOR ONE debuted at New York Fashion Week) but I don’t. Because hey, if all it takes a sleeker looking reusable water bottle to get your average fashionista to give up chucking their one use plastic water bottle in the trash bin, then I say brilliant! Besides who made the rule that environmentally friendly always has to look ugly, crunchy, and taste like hippies anyway?
reusable water bottle

Hey FTC this one's for you!I recieved a free KOR ONE Hydration Vessal in order to do this review because I couldn't without actually testing the bottle now could I? This post contains an affiliate link. If you make a purchase using the Amazon link in this post, I earn a small commission (really small) which will help me with my goal of making Condo Blues a self hosted blog at no additional cost to you. I didn't give this product a good review just to get commissions. I really like it and use it often, especially on family outings because it holds more than enough water for two people. Honest.

I love ChicoBags for traveling! It folds up in your suitcase so you can fill it will souvenirs. They are so lightweight and durable I often use mine as my main suitcase. Click the photo below for more info!

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